Cornish Pirates

Bedford Blues v Doncaster Knights

Bedford Blues have been challenged by Mike Rayer to finish the season strongly after recent good league form which has seen them win four out of their last five Championship matches.

Rayer told Bedford Today, "It's in our hands where we finish and we want to hit the ground running come the play-offs. We sat down with the players to set out our end of regular season goals and it's well within our grasp. Our form in recent weeks has been on an upward curve and we want to keep that going."

He added, “It's in our interests to end in third or fourth, to win our last two league games at home and keep the crowd coming through the turnstiles. If we can win with a bit of style then great, but that isn't the be all and end all."

The Blues will have virtually a fully fit squad to select from as they face a Doncaster side who climbed out of the relegation play-off zone with a midweek win at Birmingham & Solihull.

The Knights have won their last three Championship matches but will be playing their fifth game in thirteen punishing days at Goldington Road tomorrow.

It won’t be getting any easier either for the Yorkshire side as match number six is at Bristol next Wednesday.

Lynn Howells told the Doncaster Free Press that the good performances of some of his fringe players against Cardiff last Sunday in the British & Irish Cup have made his team selection more difficult.

He said, "It was nice to make eight changes against Cardiff and still get a positive result. The likes of Chris Briers, Oli Goss and Nicky Griffiths have really given me something to think about with their performances."

Birmingham & Solihull v Plymouth Albion

Plymouth Albion travel north up the M5 to Sharmans Cross Road for their penultimate Championship fixture knowing that nothing less than victory and five points will do.

Graham Dawe`s side slipped into the bottom four as a result of midweek results and will need to end a run of four games without a win against the bottom of the table Bees in order to keep their hopes of escape alive.

He told The Herald, “ We are conscious of where this game sits in the context of the season. It is a game we are hoping – and one we are expected by a lot of people – to win. But they are often the hardest games to prepare for.

"However, this group of players have prepared well this week and we just have to stay relaxed up until kick-off. Then when kick-off comes we just have to concentrate on playing our own game and nullifying theirs."

He added: "We know we need to be mentally spot on."

Albion have named their team for this crucial fixture and welcome back Kyle Marriott at Number 8, top try scorer Ben Mercer, Keni Fisilau, Ruairi Cushion, Martin Rice, and Tom Skelding after last Saturday`s home defeat to the Cornish Pirates.

Team www.thisisplymouth.co.uk

The Bees, without a win in 24 outings, are set to play their first home game in almost two months and Russell Earnshaw intends to field his strongest line-up for the visit of Albion.

The Birmingham Mail reports, “ He (Earnshaw) will field a much-changed side from the one that lost to Doncaster on Wednesday, featuring what most would consider to be his first string.

Matt Long and Alex Davidson are back after injury and along with Rob Connolly and Earnshaw himself will bring much-needed know-how to the pack.

Simon Hunt and Cameron Mitchell are restored to the back-line but it is the selection of Ben Patston on the bench that will give the Silhillians most cause for confidence.

Fly-half Patston is viewed by Earnshaw as the catalyst to the wide game he is trying to convince his men they can play.”

Exeter Chiefs v Moseley

Moseley travel to Sandy Park as rank outsiders for this clash against a Chiefs side who have only lost one Championship match on home soil this season, knowing that defeat could see them dragged back into the bottom four.

The Billesley Common side face the distinct possibility of two defeats and no points from their final two league fixtures with Bristol their final opponents on March 13 th. But having proved the nemesis of the Chiefs at the end of last season Canadian centre Bryn Keys sees no reason why there should not be a surprise tomorrow.

He told the Birmingham Mail, “To come away with a point would be quite helpful,” Keys said. “But like we did last season we beat Exeter at this time of year and anything can happen.

“To go to a team that might think they have this one in the bag, we could surprise anybody. We have shown at times this year that we can play with anybody so I wouldn’t count us out.

“Getting to this time of the season we need a couple of points, there is a bit of pressure. It’s talked about but at the weekend we go to win every game anyway.

It’s just whether we bring it on the day. A win would seal it – that’s what we are shooting for. It’s going to be extremely difficult but it’s still only 15 guys.”

Keys will start on the bench tomorrow after a lengthy period out with a fractured ankle, alongside powerful back row James Rodwell who has returned from England 7`s duty.

Team:-
Forwards - Terry Sigley/Adam Caves/Rupert Harden/Ally Muldowney/Richard Stott/Neil Mason/Chevvy Pennycook/ Ryan Wilson

Backs - Waylon Gasson/Tristan Roberts/Justin Mensah-Coker/Andy Reay/Callum Macburnie/Jonny May/Tim Catling

Reps - Nathan Williams/Dan Oselton/Andy Hall/James Rodwell/Gareth Taylor/Bryn Keys/Rob Thirlby

Rob Baxter told the Express & Echo that Moseley can expect no favours from his side tomorrow.

He said, “It's also an opportunity to take something away from Moseley, the guys have spoken about that themselves.

"We had a big couple of games taken away from us by Moseley last season, the tables are turned slightly now. The pressure is on in different ways for us and for Moseley and it will be interesting to see how both teams deal with it."

He added: "Anyone who looks at the league table will say that if Moseley don't get any more points they're going to drop out of the top eight.

We know they're coming here desperate for points, that makes me and hopefully the rest of the team desperate to make sure they don't get anything.

Squad news www.thisisexeter.co.uk

London Welsh v Bristol

Third-placed London Welsh face table-topping Bristol at Old Deer Park having received confirmation that they will receive their salaries for February.

Rugby Times reports that the squad have received the news amidst continuing financial problems at the London club but there is as yet no confirmation of payments being made to players and staff in March.

Head coach Danny Wilson lamented the problems he faces in planning for next season stating, “It is hard to do any planning or recruiting when you can`t offer players anything.”

Welsh are yet to name their side but are likely to be without scrum-half Nick Runciman and Number 8 Tom Brown who have both picked up injuries.

Bristol will welcome back the Championship`s joint leading try scorer Dan Norton for the trip to the capital. Norton, who has 11 touchdowns to his name so far this season, has been away on England 7`s duty with clubmate Mat Turner.

However coach John Brain has warned his squad that they will have to be at their best to beat the Welsh tomorrow.

He said, “I think they play better against the top sides. They had an upset against Plymouth on their own ground, which they wouldn't have expected, but they have had a pretty good season, particularly when you consider their five-point deduction.

It's just the odd lapse in concentration here or there against one or two of the non-form teams that have perhaps undermined them a little bit."

Squad news www.thisisbristol.co.uk

Rotherham Titans v Coventry

When these two sides met at the Butts Park Arena in the opening match of the Championship many expected both teams to be fighting for their league survival at the end of the regular campaign. They have not been disappointed.

Coventry ran out 21-12 winners that night, one of only five wins all season, and already consigned to the relegation play-offs could forced Rotherham to join them with a victory at Clifton Lane.

The Titans, buoyed after a midweek win against a strong Nottingham side, still have an outside chance of making it back to the top eight if they can win here and away at Bedford on March 13 th but also need other results to go their way too.

Coach Craig West is expected to name the same starting XV as the Nottingham match with the form of lock Tom Denton, signed on a dual registration deal from Leeds Carnegie, particularly impressive.

Coventry boss Phil Maynard has told the Coventry Telegraph that it won`t be easy for his team in Yorkshire.

He said, “Our own agenda is clear – to get some form together for those six games at the end of the season and make sure we retain our status and we will be looking for a big performance.”

“It’s always difficult to get a result at Clifton Lane, for many reasons, but we have beaten them already this season and hopefully we can play the way we did in the first-half at Bristol last week, when we showed what we can do when we put our minds to it.”

Coventry team www.coventrytelegraph.net

Cornish Pirates v Nottingham

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Western Morning News view www.thisiswesternmorningnews

Nottingham website preview www.nottinghamrugby.co.uk

Other News

RFU CHAMPIONSHIP clubs Coventry and Birmingham & Solihull have been fined £1500 each and given a five league points deduction, suspended for 12 months, at a Rugby Football Union disciplinary hearing.

Both clubs pleaded guilty to conduct prejudicial to the interests of the Game contrary to Rule 5.12 of the RFU

Personnel from the two clubs entered the ground (as defined in the Laws of the Game) and became involved in a brawl during the closing stages of the Championship match at the Butts Park Arena on February 5.

Birmingham & Solihull hooker Stuart Philpott was banned for two weeks for conduct prejudicial to the interests of the Game by becoming involved in a brawl after he had been replaced during the same match.

The suspension runs from the date of the game and he can play again on February 20.

The panel comprised Jeremy Summers (chairman), John Brennan and Bob Taylor .